The Time We Lost
by Baylexis
Summary: Stuck in a loveless marriage and a job he despises, 31 year old Kurt Hummel wishes on a shooting star to go back before he ruined his life. Though, he didn't actually expect to wake up 17 and in high school again. Now given a second chance, Kurt will do anything in his power to get the life he deserved. Which seems hard when he's so distracted by Blaine Anderson. M for later chaps
1. Chapter 1

Kurt Hummel was someone who had big dreams ever since he was young. When his mom was alive, he had wanted to be just like her, which to him, was a superstar. He wanted to cook like her, clean like her, sing like her; he wanted to be her. She was his world. When he got a little older, maybe 7 years old, Kurt wanted to be a Disney princess. He wanted to be saved by a prince, and would make his dad pretend to save him from silly situations. Sometimes, Kurt would even save his dad from those situations. Being a Disney princess in the coolest outfits and the best crowns was all Kurt needed to feel happy and accepted in his life.

At about 12 or 13, Kurt just wanted to be normal. He knew he wasn't, he was different. He didn't really know what that meant. He prefered more feminine colors, pinks and light purples to contrast with his jeans. He liked clothes that were considered for girls, though his mom always told him that fashion had no gender. Kurt loved his clothes, but everyone around him called him a girl and gay, and Kurt wasn't sure that he was even one of those things. Well, until his first crush. If you asked Kurt now, he couldn't tell you what his name was. He was a transfer student from France, and he was the only kind boy to Kurt. The young Hummel didn't understand these feelings, but he knew they were wrong. And apparently, he was bad at hiding his stares and longing looks at this student, because he was the first one to start bullying Kurt.

Turning 16 meant a lot to Kurt. It held bigger, more permanent dreams. He wanted to move to New York and be on Broadway. As a sixteen year old, Kurt felt he was as free as he could be in the town that he hated. He focused on school more than anything, he hardly hung out with friends, choosing to stay inside and study rather than go out. And this was something that affected his life as he grew. Bullies forcing him to stay inside and scaring him into never socializing took an awful toll on him.

When Kurt turned 20, His only dream was to get married. To find love and have a family. And he did… Sort of. He met Adam in NYADA, and dropped everything to be with him. Kurt had never really been in love with anyone before, and he felt like he'd never get the chance again if he didn't want to lose his chance. So, Adam and Kurt got married right before Kurt turned 21. And it was good, life was good. He was happy for a while. He got a mediocre desk job at some insurance company, it made money and that was all he needed at the time. Until Adam began to become distant. They stopped sleeping together, they stopped sleeping in the same room, even. And soon, they were both stuck in a loveless marriage.

At 31, all Kurt wanted was to go back and fix his life. It was the only ounce of dreaming he had left, and It was something he truly couldn't do. It was his 31st birthday party that sparked this. It was a surprise party thrown by his father, one Kurt wished he didn't throw. Adam wasn't there. He had a few coworkers show up, and they all had a drink and a refreshment, but the party ended almost an hour after it began. At 8, there was only Burt and Carole left, everyone else having inevitably said their goodbyes.

Being alone, seeing that sorrowful look in his father's eyes really projected the problem to Kurt. He wasn't happy, his life was over too early. And there was nothing Kurt could do about it. Saying goodbye to his parents about a half hour later, Kurt took a look at his life. He really looked. It was pathetic. For someone who had such big dreams as a child and in high school, Kurt's life seemed to have fallen out of place for almost no reason at all. These thoughts and feelings made the birthday boy go to his window. He opened it up and stared up at the sky.

"A shooting star." Glasz eyes looked up at the sky as a shooting star passed by. Feeling silly, Kurt closed his eyes and wished hard. 'Take me back. Take me back to when my life went wrong. Please.' He kept his eyes closed for a little longer, hoping and praying and wishing as hard as he could that when his eyes opened, he'd be somewhere different.

Maybe he kept them closed for a little too long, because he didn't hear the sound of his husband coming in the house with another man. He didn't hear Adam toss an empty apology in the air and move to his room. Kurt just sat with his thoughts, letting his mind divagate from it's stressful thoughts and hope and wish to be somewhere else. When he finally opened his eyes, Kurt was upset, but not disappointed that he was still in his living room. The man felt silly, actually wishing to go back to where his life messed up. With a heavy sigh and the trudging of his feet, Kurt locked himself in his room. If only he could go back, Kurt would change everything. He'd never marry Adam, he'd never leave NYADA, he'd never let the bullies hurt him. It wasn't hard to sleep on these ideals and wishes to the past.


	2. Chapter 2 - Dream or Reality?

Dark. That's all this dream really was. Which was fine, Kurt never had dreams anymore. But this was… Different. It was almost as if instead of the absence of a dream, he was existing in the loud, overpowering black hole. The dream was like this for awhile, and Kurt was comfortable in it. It wasn't scary or harmful, it was an encompassing darkness that made Kurt feel at ease. Until it wasn't black anymore. Light burst into view, tugging Kurt by the gut and practically sending him flying. Even though this was a dream, it made him feel sick. Kurt felt like he was being sucked into some other world, or rather, some other body.

Kurt could hear some muffled speech. He wasn't sure what was happening, it was like his eyes were open, but he couldn't see. He was holding something and yet, the feeling of touch was yet to exist. What the fuck was going on?

" ... This lesson about opposites? I mean, you in a sequined gown and a feather boa is exactly what you'd expect." The voice speaking sounded familiar, but Kurt couldn't place it. Still unable to see, Kurt's mouth moved without permission. It shocked him, really.

"Okay, who said anything about a gown?" Hearing his own voice startled Kurt, and finally he was able to see. It was blurry at first, like when eyes open for the first time in days. Slowly, the scene became clear. And it was familiar. Kurt remembered this happening before, but he was unsure of where. Was it deja vu? No, it felt so much more... Real. It was more than remembering the events as they happened, he felt he could tell what was going to happen next. But where was he? High school? How did he even get here? Kurt wasn't paying attention to Puck as he said something about Kurt being useful and visiting other schools. He was staring into space, confused and concerned. Why was he in school? What the hell kind of dream was this?

" ... Rt... Urt... Kurt!" His brother's voice carried and Kurt's head shot up immediately. Finn. Finn Hudson, Kurt's brother who he hadn't seen in years. Kurt's eyes teared up and he wiped them away. As much as he had the urge to hug Finn, he had this inner voice telling him that it shouldn't happen. So, he sucked it up and took a deep breath.

"Finn, what?"

"Dude, you like totally zoned out. Puck was suggesting you go visit the Warblers?" Finn's voice was laced with a sort of lazy concern. It was obvious that he wanted to say something and ask if the other was okay, but he seemed to be struggling because of something else. Kurt just assumed that it was because of the other guys in the room.

"Oh, yeah," Kurt cleared his throat and fixed his posture a bit, taking down the board of outfit suggestions and taking it off it's pedestal. "I can do that. Sure." Assuming this was all still a dream, Kurt paused before walking out. He wished he'd had the courage to say this when it actually happened. "For the record, Artie, I get enough bullying from the assholes outside the glee club. I'd appreciate it if you didn't start gaining their attitudes just because you're on the football team." Feeling confident, Kurt walked out of the room. He still had no idea what was going on in this dream, it felt insanely real and way too detailed, but he would go along with it. Considering dreams lead themselves, Kurt decided to just follow it.

Following this dream wherever it took him seemed to prove to be more difficult than Kurt had ever remembering a dream being. After walking out of the school, he had to find his car. The man went through so many in his younger years, he couldn't actually pinpoint which one was his without pressing the lock button and hearing the horn go off about twenty times. When he finally was able to find his car, driving it was even weirder. After realizing he'd never have kids, Kurt got a small, cheap car and had had it for years now. This... This was a giant SUV that Kurt had little memory of driving. Yay him. Eventually through the driving, muscle memory took over and it was easy for Kurt to get a hold of driving. He forgot how fun driving was as a kid; blasting music and driving wherever was wanted when behind the wheel.

It didn't take him more than thirty minutes to get to Dalton Academy. It was a castle of a school, with dorms and large halls. Honestly, the building was kinda scary, even though he'd already been in it once before. It was an intimidating sight. Though it was advertised as a safe place for boys, with a no tolerance policy and lively students with challenging classes, it looked like a prison. It took Kurt a while to push himself out of the car and into the building.

Inside was much different. The smell of fancy cologne and seemingly home cooked meals filled the halls and stuck to the fabrics lining them. Blues and reds stood out against each other, whether on boys rushing around, or along the interior of the school. Boys laughing and talking were honestly much different than the sounds of students at McKinley, especially when Kurt only remembered listening for the maniacal laughs of overpowered jocks. These boys sounded more civil, more friendly. Kurt could feel the carpet under his feet, it was soft and plush and he wished he could just lie down and take a nap. Instead, he kept himself going, following the hordes of students down the stairs.

Stairs? Kurt felt an odd significance with these stairs. He didn't really know why, though his body seemed to remember. His heartbeat quickened, his hands became slightly clammy, and his eyes searched for something. Something hazel...

Ignoring the weird feelings his body emitted, Kurt tapped the shoulder of a short boy with dark curls. He truly didn't remember what the hell was happening here, and asking one of the students seemed to be the best option. "Excuse me," Kurt began, though his words were suddenly stuck in his throat when he found what he'd been searching for. Hazel eyes. Blaine Anderson. How could Kurt have forgotten the nicest boy to ever cross his path? That was what made Kurt's heart cry! Even though they only had a few encounters, Kurt's heart had always managed to stutter around those beautiful eyes. "Uh... I'm Kurt, I'm new here."

God damnit, the smile that spread across Blaine's face made Kurt react more than he wanted to at the time. "I'm Blaine." Of course you are, idiot, he knows this.

"So uh, what exactly is going on here?" Kurt genuinely had no idea.

"The Warblers! Every now and then they throw an impromptu performance in the senior commons, tends to shut the school down for a while." Cocky bastard, Kurt thought.

"So wait, the glee club here is kind of cool?" Indubitably, Kurt knew that it was, but playing his part in this dream felt... Important.

"The Warblers are like... rockstars," Blaine said, a half smile forming on his lips. Kurt watched as the boy's hand pushed closer to Kurt's, taking it gently. "Come on, I know a shortcut."

As Kurt was lead through the halls, he couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness. It had been so long since he'd been here, it felt like he was truly meant to go to Dalton. Even watching the Warblers perform, he was convinced he should be with them performing. The day went on like this, Kurt spilling his true intentions and fears to the boys who actually seemed concerned for him, getting their numbers and smiling. Maybe if he remembered these numbers when he woke up, they'd be real and he could get in contact with the friendly people across from him.

Getting home, Kurt was greeted by his father and Carole as he walked in the door, happily smiling at the both of them and heading down to his room. They were yet to move out, so Finn and Kurt were still uncomfortably sharing a room. It had a curtain between two sides to give them each some privacy, but it still wasn't much. To his parents, Kurt greeted them both with a hug. Burt accepted easily, but Carole seemed stunned. "I'm happy to be home. Did you need any help with dinner, mom?" It wasn't hard to accept the loving, caring woman that was Carole Hudson as his mother. She was so sweet and kind and Kurt felt his own late mother would be happy with the wife Burt chose. But, she seemed startled and confused when Kurt addressed her as such.

"I-I... No, I have it all prepared..." Carole and Burt shared a look, but decided to let it go.

Kurt only smiled. "Okay," He said, chipper "Then I'll start the dishes before we eat." And Kurt set off. Dinner was like any other Friday night dinner that Kurt remembered having with the family. Though, Burt kept staring at him as if something was off the whole time. Saying goodnight early, Kurt happily laid in his bed and drifted off. What a wonderful dream.

The next morning, Kurt expected to wake up to his empty bed, husband nowhere in sight and his job calling. But instead, he woke up the smell of pancakes and a hand on his shoulder, shaking him. "Adam?" Kurt asked drowzily. "S'at you?"

"Uh.. Who's Adam, kid? Nevermind, just get up er Carole'll have a fit about you not eatin'." A gruff voice replied. Kurt just grumbled and turned back over for a moment. Wait, was that his dad? Kurt shot up, looking around confused. He was... Still dreaming? There was no way. Kurt felt more awake than ever, this couldn't still be a figment of his imagination! But he wasn't back at home. He was still in his seventeen year old body, still in silk pajamas and a face mask from the night before. How... How could this be? Kurt slowly got up and looked out at the morning sky. Wait... The star. Kurt wished to go back before his life took a turn for the worst. Was he really getting his second chance? Was this... Real?


End file.
